The hull-breacher said ‘hello’ in a voice like thunder.
The force of the impact sent the bug creature flying off its hooves and half way across the room where it landed in a smoking pile that was leaking a considerable amount of ichor.
Spike shook his head to get his eyes to focus again as the gunfire echoed and his snout was filled with the sharp scent of black powder. He didn’t know where Princess Cadance had been hiding it, but he was suddenly glad she had it. Spike worked his frills to get his hearing back and lifted himself to a standing position.
Princess Cadance didn’t waste time and was reloading that huge cannon by breaching the barrel and loading in what was probably more powder and another shot that looked as big as a plump grape. Her mouth was moving but no sound was coming out. All he was getting was a lot of loud ringing.
“Uugh...where did you come from? That thing got the drop on us and it hit Twi - oh Tartarus! Twilight‽” Spike swung around and looked for his sister and spotted her slumped against the wall near the bottom of the stairs with blood dripping from her ankle and hip.
Spike started toward Twilight when Princess Cadance waved at him and pointed at the fallen assassin. He glanced at the creature and against everything he would have thought possible, it was moving. Spike stared as it rotated its legs and head and lifted itself off the floor. When it straightened up, he could see the wound the gun had left in its glittering, iridescent torso. And the wall behind it.
He took a step back, his lips curled into a snarl as the creature fixed its creepy pony-like eyes on him. It said something but his hearing was still too shot to make anything out. Whatever this thing was, he wasn’t going to let it hurt Twilight or Cadance. The wound in its chest started to close as he watched and it gave him a smile before it leaped to the side.
“No you don’t!” Spike roared and sprung after it, his tail doing most of the pushing as he tackled the monster into and then through the shuttered and barred window. The chitin in his claws shifted unsettlingly as they rolled in the grass and Spike gasped when he felt fangs rake across his scales. He didn’t know if they got through but he was going to have some new scars after this fight.
Spike kept his claws clamped tight on the flesh that was doing it’s best to writhe out of his grip and when they came to a stop with him on top, Spike slammed the creature into the ground as hard as he could. It didn’t look bothered but he heard it grunt.
“Oh good, my hearing is coming back!”
“Isn’t that nice? Now won’t you be a good dragon and just die!”
“How about no!” Spike opened his mouth wide and let out a blast of fire into the face of the bug-pony. The fire spread around them and set the yard and flower bed ablaze. The thing charred somewhat, but it only looked annoyed.
“Spike! Get back!”
The dragon let go and hopped off the monster and rolled away as soon as he heard Twilight; he’d been in enough tight situations with the battle mage to know what was about to happen. He looked up in time to see Twilight at the broken window, supported by Princess Cadance, unleash hell from her horn. He’d already charred the area and the enemy so Twilight hit it with pure force hard enough to crater it into the earth by more than a hoofspan deep. She then gouged a trench by pushing it through the loamy soil from there to the outer wall which spiderwebbed with cracks under the force.
“And...stay down…” Twilight gasped once the spell left her and sagged limply in Princess Cadance’s grip.
“Spike! Help me, Twilight’s been poisoned!” Cadance adjusted her hold and eased Twilight down to the floor. Spike could see the Princess’ horn glowing, her pale blue colored aura pressing over Twilight’s wounds. “I’m keeping her injuries closed and slowing the spread of the poison, but I can’t clear it out of her system. We’re going to need a doctor!”
“There’s a clinic nearby, we can take her there!”
“No.” Cadance licked her lips and looked at the now still body of the monster. “Canterlot isn’t safe. Those things can mimic anything, especially ponies. We need to get out of here, but I can’t move Twily by myself.”
Spike jogged over to where Cadance was hovering protectively over Twilight. He leaned down and plucked a small pouch on Twilight’s harness open and pulled out a slip of paper. “I know a place we can go, Princess, and somepony we can trust to help out Twilight.”
Spike flicked his wrist and the paper released a transmutation enchantment and grew into the saddle he had worn earlier when picking Cadance up at the airship terminal. Spike then released a similar enchantment on himself and grew into his huge winged form.
“Grab Twi’s staff and get on. I can get us there in an hour if the wind cooperates.”
“Shieldmaidens! Secure the perimeter!” Shining Armor nodded to himself as he oversaw the rest of the Shieldmaidens of Luna erect a massive shield around the former safe house. Once the glowing shield was in place and opaqued against the gathering crowds of onlookers, he gestured for the Princesses.
Princess Celestia lead the way down the ramp from their immense private airship, the HMS Eclipse, followed closely at hoof by Princess Luna. The Princesses disembarked and broke the enchantment holding the door to the inner courtyard closed. Princess Luna motioned for Shining Armor to join them.
“Talk to me, ‘Maiden. Have we received any new information?”
“No, ma’am.” Shining Armor saluted and then lowered his voice. “Pleased don’t call me that, Princess.”
Celestia smirked as she raised her reinforced war tankard of coffee to take a long slip. “We’ll know more in a moment. Reports say a dragon resembling Spike left here two hours ago with what could have been two ponies on his back after several loud explosions and roars were heard from inside.”
Princess Celestia pushed the door open and scanned the yard and patio without stepping in. “I can plainly see signs of a struggle. I can still smell a hint of dragonfire too.”
“Then step aside, sister. My night grows late and we need to know what is going on and why our niece did not contact us.” Luna moved forward and pass Celestia as her wheeled harness rolled over the threshold. “Time is of the essence…”
Luna faded out as she looked into the far corner of the yard. “Celestia, come. Shining, close the door and leave us.”
“But Princess, I’m to remain at your side!”
“Close the door and leave us, ‘Maiden, or ‘Maiden no longer shall you be.” Luna kept her gaze focused on the far wall and her voice soft, but even Celestia raised her eyebrows at her tone. “Is that clear?”
“...as crystal, Princess.” Shining frowned and nodded to Celestia and after she was through, he closed and resealed the door behind her.
“Luna...what is it?” Celestia sipped from her oversized tankard and followed Luna’s gaze. She saw the destruction. The broken window, the burnt yard, the new trench and the shattered wall. Her breath caught when she saw the crumpled pile of black and green in the center of it all.
Celestia wasted not another breath and trotted over to the still body. Luna followed her sister slowly, her eyes sweeping over the remains of the battle. When she reached the final crater, Celestia was kneeling by the body and gently brushing the odd webbing that formed its ‘mane’ out of her face. “Knowing your protege, it was likely quick, if it’s any consolation.”
“No.”
Luna raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean? I know you thought highly of Chrysalis, but I’ve been on the receiving end of Twilight Sparkle, remember?” Luna gestured at her harness. “There is no way it wasn’t quick once Twilight had her in her sights.”
“No. It isn’t Chrysalis.” Celestia’s horn flared and the layered plates of chitin that made up the changeling’s face bulged and then broke away with a wet snapping sound. Under the face and a thin layer of milky mucus was another changeling face, though it was devoid of any distinguishing characteristics.
“There is more than one changeling?” Luna blinked as the second face twitched and after a long second opened one eye. “And it’s still alive? What did you do to our niece and her protectors?”
“I...live...for now.”
“What happened here?” Celestia stayed close to the changeling, her mug steaming from where it sat next to the Sun Princess.
“I...failed my...Lord. The Queen would...have eaten me.” The changeling made a sickeningly wet gasp for breath. “She will not...tolerate further failure.”
“Is Chrysalis the Queen you speak of?”
The changeling coughed and blinked very slowly as a grin spread over its second face. “The prophecy will...come to pass and...a new princess will rise. But this time, it will be...my Queen.”
“Celestia, what is this thing talking about?” Luna stepped closer and her horn flashed as it did a quick scan of the creature. “What prophecy is it babbling about?”
Celestia was silent and climbed back to her hooves. She lifted her war tankard of coffee and mumbled quietly under her breath before turning back toward the house. “I need to find Chrysalis.”
“What are you talking about? You cannot leave me in the dark on this, Tia. I have a right to…”
Luna paused as the changeling on the ground started to spasm and make a choking noise. It took her a moment, but she realized that the rapidly dying monster was laughing. The question was forming on her lips when Luna felt a sudden spike in the local magical field and then the crystal defenses embedded in the walls around them went critical.
The flight was blessedly quick.
Cadance wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold the poison in Twilight’s veins from reaching her heart. It took a lot of concentration to keep all the tiny blood vessels in Twily’s leg closed off. If she maintained it for too long, Twily could lose the leg even if she survived whatever the shapeshifter had put into her.
Twilight was out cold before they had even made it into the air, but as Spike lined up for a landing in what she suspected was the Everfree Preserve, the unicorn was still breathing normally, if shallowly. “Spike! Are we there yet?”
“Yeah, this is the place. There is a clearing just ahead. After we land I’ll help you carry Twilight inside.”
“Inside what?” Cadance squinted but she couldn’t make out anything amid the black mass of forest sweeping past below them. “Where are we going?”
“To see Zecora, the sage. If we can trust anypony to fix up Twi, it’s her.”